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ORLANDO, Fla. — Forget farm-to-table. The newest locavore trend in U.S. cities comes from the
backyard: eggs out of the urban chicken coop.

“It is part of the creative class trend,” said Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who
pushed through an urban-chicken pilot program last week.

Within hours after it was adopted by city commissioners, all 25 permits were scooped up, and a
waiting list of 25 formed.

“We had people waiting outside of city hall to sign up,” Sheehan said.

“The people that are interested in it are the young professionals, people that enjoy growing
their own food.”

Raising backyard chickens in the city is growing in popularity nationwide, driven by Americans’
desire for fresher, local, wholesome and safe food, said Dennis Mudge, the University of Florida’s
agriculture extension agent in Orlando.

In preparing for the Orlando program, the city counted 166 U.S. cities that permit backyard
chickens, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

Some trendy owners are forking over hundreds of dollars on upscale coops.

In its online catalog, housewares company Williams-Sonoma offers two exclusive coops, handmade
in the United States from certifiable sustainable wood, priced from $660 to $880. For an additional
$400, the store will also ship a screened run.

Baby chicks cost $3 to $5 each, depending on the breed and sex (females are more expensive).
Hens that have just started laying eggs cost $15 to $25 each, according to livestock suppliers.